I Miss Him
by StarfireRocks
Summary: Pippa Overland's letter to Santa a year after her brother's death. North can't help but feel strangely connected to the dead Jack.


**First completed Rise of the Guardians fanfic! So excited! I have like, three more on the go, but I finished this uber quick and couldn't help myself. Sorry.**

**Disclaimer: THAT'S ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS THIS YEAR! But for now, no I do not own Rise of the Guardians, Jack Frost, his sister, or North.**

_Dear Santa,_

_All I want for Christmas this year is to have my brother back. Last year he drowned in a lake near our house. That was the year you gave us both ice skates, though I'm sure you don't remember. It's my fault he's gone, it should've been me. I begged him to take me skating and because he was good big brother, he did. He wanted to wait until later, until the ice was sturdier, but I pleaded for him to take me straight away. While I was skating, the ice cracked under me. Jackson, my brother, saved me at the cost of his own life. He fell through the ice after he threw me to safety. I waited for him to come back up for hours, but he never did. This happened the day after Christmas. If I hadn't insisted that Jack take me skating, he would be here with me now. I know I don't deserve anything for Christmas because of this, but Jack didn't deserve to drown either. Please, Santa, bring him back. I promise to be extra good forever if you do. Please, I miss him. I miss my brother. I miss the pranks he pulled and the trouble he caused. I miss his stories and his games. I miss his hugs. I miss waking up from a nightmare and having him comfort me. Most of all I miss his laughter. I miss Jack. Please, please Santa, bring him back home. That's all I want for Christmas._

_Sincerely,_

_Pippa Overland_

North sighed as he lowered the tear-stained letter to the desk surface. These letters were always the hardest; the ones with impossible requests. They always managed to tear at his heart, especially the ones like little Pippa's, where another child's life was lost.

The paper was crumpled and ripped, as if the writer had crushed it into a ball and thrown it out of frustration and grief. North's heart twisted painfully as he remembered what Pippa had said: ". . ._that was the year you gave us both ice skates. . ._" The incident had indirectly been his fault.

Of course, he had not known his gifts would bring about the death of young Jackson Overland, but nonetheless the boy had died while saving his sister when they were skating. North couldn't help the heavy weight of guilt from resting upon his shoulders.

He felt terrible that he couldn't grant Pippa's wish, that he was unable to return her brother. He felt even worse at the self-blame the girl seemed to harbour. It hadn't been her fault any more than it had been his, but the fact of the matter remained that Jackson was gone while Pippa was safe.

North gently brushed his fingers against the bottom of the letter; there were several discolored circles on the page, as if Pippa had been crying while she wrote it. North knew that no gift from him could relieve Pippa of her grief, but hoped that with some help from the others, she might be able to have sweet dreams, remember the fun she had with her brother, and keep alive the hope of seeing him again.

For a reason he could not explain, North felt obligated to help this girl be happy once more. He always felt deep regret and sorrow when a child's life was lost, but it was somehow worse when he thought of the boy, Jack. He was sure he had never met him, though he faintly recalled seeing his name on the Naughty List every now and then, but he felt protective over this dead boy, as if there was a connection between them.

Knowing that there was nothing to be done that could save the poor boy, North vowed to do everything and anything in his power to help his sister recover from her loss. Starting by visiting the other Guardians.

**I dunno where this came from! I was reading a random book, and my friend was talking about her little sister finding her old letters to Santa, and I was like. . . I wonder what Jack's sister woulda asked for. . . This is the result! I wasn't originally gonna add North, but I couldn't resist. Hehe, sorry!**


End file.
